Petals Fall
by Irishneko18
Summary: The feelings of being lost, of being alone. Together they find that love is the best healer of all. Sak/Kak.


_Disclaimer: Don't own anything Naruto! (wish I did *grumble*). _

_**A/N **__Hey guys, I have always loved Sakura/Kakashi pairing, so enjoy!_

_**Petals Fall**_

_**First Part: The Rain**_

_The stone stood before her, large and intimidating. As a child when she would wander outside the city, she would remember staring up at the names on the stone. She knew of some of the surnames, such as Nara, _and _Yamanaka, _and one of the most common; _Hyuga._ The names attached to them, though, were nothing but mysterious. She had watched people spend days sitting in front of the stone, looking up at it with such passion, having memories of a specific person, memories she did not know of. The names were legends to her, people who had fought for Konoha, had fought for them. But…they were always ghost-like to her. As she grew up and became a kunoichi, her feelings for the stone had changed. The _Names of the Old_ as her instructor, Tsunade, said of them, were back when Konoha was just a small village, when the ninja business was still beginning. Those names were faint, the details worn from weather and time. Two forces no man could ever out due. Over the years, more names were added, names that were all too familiar to Sakura. Names with the surname _Haruno, _her grandparents, and recently, her parents.

When she was younger and even when she was older, she remembered seeing Kakashi-sensei sitting out here, crouched on one knee, hand lifted and palm set against the unforgiving stone. His demeanor cold, and exposed eye glossed over. She never knew with what, maybe with memories of the past, maybe with those of the lost. When she seen him like this, when his silver head bent, giving the stone a look as if the names written there were the people that he had lost. This is the moment when she realized that she knew the pain he was going through.

Months passed, and everyday…at dusk, when the sun was peeking over the horizon, and the colors of the sky were changing and mixing, is when she watched from the market rooftop. One evening when the clouds over the city let out their tears, she watched as he bent his head again, and watched his silver hair turn dark gray with the tears. Her foot steps were silent as she approached his crouched form.

"Hey," her voice was soft. His head snapped up and his face was stunned. But his eye were glazed over, still stuck in the past. His exposed eye was dark and her eyes widened as he took off his head band to let it fall to the grass and spread his hand through his hair.

"Hello, Sakura," soft and silent, soft and silent.

"…" She couldn't do anything but look at the stone in front of them. Silence engulfed them. For two people who have known each other for more than six years they had never spend more than a few minutes alone.

"What do you need…Sakura?" He was still crouched there, with his hand pressed against the stone, looking at her, his hair falling half-hazard over his eyes. The red sharingan glowed as his right eye took on an even darker gray.

"I…I don't know anymore Kakashi-sensei." The years, he knew, were not kind to her. But they were not kind to any ninja. The years weeded out those who were not meant to be and left the other lost and lonely for those they lost.

"It's getting dark, you should head home." He stood as the last of light found its way behind the monument towering above the city. He pulled out the familiar orange book and flipped it open.

"Hai…I guess I should," She walked closer, bend down and picked up his hitai-ate. With slightly shaky fingers she lifted it over his head and settled it on his forehead. He looked questioningly at her, his one eye brow raised. Leaning farther up she tied the ends together, and then with a sigh straightened it so it covered his sharingan comfortably.

'_I should probably move my hands' _But her hands didn't listen to her thoughts and she found them drifting down towards his cheeks, over his mask and just cupping his jaws and staring into is now lone eye. She didn't notice her thumbs rubbing over his jaw, but he did. She dropped her hands when he stepped back and both turned away at the same time…not saying one more word.

**Second Part: The Growth**

It was her 19th birthday party, Yamanaka Ino had set it up weeks before, renting out the local bar. She had already picked out her gift, a slinky black wrap with cherry blossom on the sleeves and collar. Her usual jonin outfit was scoffed at by the blonde and was even looked at with pity by the quite Hyuga Hinata. Even elite shinobi, like Genma, seemed puzzled to hear about her wardrobe choice.

Struggled into the dress, Sakura had a feeling that her inner self was a little to happy with the choice of clothing Ino picked out.

**Che! We are finally going to get some loving! **Inner Sakura yelled happily inside Sakura's head. She was indeed doing a little dance as Sakura pulled the zipper up under the arm.

_Maybe I don't want any loving…maybe I just want to be loved…_Sakura rolled her eyes are she tried reasoning with her inner self.

Closing the door, Sakura let her frustration out and watched with happiness as the windows of her apartment rattled in their homes. She walked into the bar and found herself engulfed with….orange. Lots and lots and lots of orange.

"SAKURA-CHAN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! TEME CAME WITH ME!" Breathing deeply Sakura tried to struggle out of the hold of Naruto without hurting him. She saw him point wildly at a smirking Sasuke. Over the years she had learned to keep her temper in check…

"NARUTO LET GO YOU MORON!" Yelling Sakura lifted her fist and brought it down on top of his bright head, making his eyes water and his hands raise in defense.

….or maybe it wasn't in check at all.

"Oh Sakura-chan I just wanted to give you your birthday present!" Already over the punch to the head…Sakura felt like maybe she had given him just a little too many…he handed over a badly wrapped gift…everyone looked at it.

All eyes were trained on the present…there was just something about it…it just looked strange. Like he wrapped it with his feet.

"Sakura-chan..open it!."

"Shut-up dobe."

"TEME DON'T TELL ME TO SHUT-UP!"

"NARUTO SHUT UP..." The crowd of people that had gathered around Sakura and the strangely wrapped present yelled together…and poor Naruto. He shrunk back like a poor puppy who had been kicked in the head. Sakura sighed before leaning towards him and giving him a huge hug while whispering in his ear. Everyone around tried to listen but couldn't…it was a silent moment between them…

"THANKS SAKURA-CHAN! I LOVE YOU TOO!"

…or maybe not so much.

"Sakura open it!"

"Do it!"

Sakura cringed, it was almost like a challenge, to open Naruto's strange present or to wait till she was able to get a hazmat suit from the hospital. But she looked up at him…his bright blue eyes so hopeful and couldn't help but grimace at it…it was so cute and adorable.

"Alright Naruto, I'll open it now." Just seeing him looking at her with that hopeful look made any type of fear….or panic she felt inside disappear.

With a careful hand she reached over and untied the ribbon/knot thingy. The top kind of feel off after that and Sakura gasped…and not in horror/panic.

Inside was a beautiful hair comb, decorated with cherry-blossom and ornate leaves. Picking it up she heard the bar go even quieter and several girls, mostly Ino, Tenen, and silent Hinata, sighed.

"Naruto its beautiful." She picked it up and slid it into her hair, letting it slide against her fingers before locking in place. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I know how said you've been…" The group again let out a dreamy sigh. "AND IT HAS CHERRY-BLOSSOM THINGYS ON IT….LIKE YOUR NAME SAKURA-CHAN. I JUST FOUND OUT IT MEANT CHERRY-BLOSSOM. COOL HUH?"

Everyone, including the watchful bar tender sweat dropped at that moment. More than six years and it took him that long to learn what her name meant. And he wanted to become Hokage! Oh Kami!

"Thanks Naruto…I think." With a hug and a kiss on the cheek Sakura continued onto the rest of the crowd, and continued to talk. Sake was bought for her and she drank happily with everyone, but at some time she felt herself being drawn outside.

The crowd didn't notice the birthday girl escape. Sakura was tired, the fake smiles could only last so long, the loneliness though, was never fake. How is it that with so many people smiling and hugging you, you could still feel alone?

The sun was almost down, which meant that her time at the stone had come. She walked forward, her sandals (the one practical piece of clothing she would not give up) were quite as she walked towards it. The sun had given its last rays, as the distant dusk settled over the horizon. Her feet went from stone pathways of the city to grass on the outskirts of town. And there, in his usual spot, was Kakashi, his hand once again placed on the stone. She didn't hesitate this time, just think about going back but just kept her going. She stopped two feel from his crouched figure.

"However much you pray, however much you wish, they never will come back." Her voice was quite and soft, and she didn't know if he had heard her or not.

"…" He didn't respond but turned glazed over eyes toward her.

"I've tried everything, tried making bargains on my own life, telling myself and Kami 'If you give them a few more years, you can take it from me.' But it never works, I just wake up wanting to see their faces, wanting to hear their voices."

"Hai." He responded finally, but she didn't know if it was in agreement or just because he meant something. He looked at her finally and laughed, it was soft but not full of any humor. "Nineteen, already?" Nodding Sakura crouched down next to him, close enough to feel their shoulders brush one another.

"Kakashi-sensei…" it drifted in the wind. "Why?" it was a question of the hurts of the pasts and if they would ever heal in the future.

"Because…the world would not be what it is without those who are lost." he looked at her, his hitai-ate was on the grass again. The sharingan glowed brightly as the sun continued to settle. "And those who are alive would have nothing to mourn if they had not lost anyone."

"But why do we have to loose them?" Her voice wavered and he looked at his palm as it moved over the stone.

"We have no choice…" At that moment he felt ancient, sitting next to such a young women, felt ancient and old. "We have no choice at all."

"I want a choice." Without a thought she leaned her head against his shoulder and let the tears build over her eyes. "I want to be able to see them, to touch and hear them."

"We all do, Sakura, we all do." He looked at her then, with clear eyes. He didn't see the girl he trained for only a few months, didn't see a young women but saw someone who had gone through misery and was looking for comfort.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." she looked at him then and found herself drawing closer, lifting her head she locked eyes with him. She felt their breath mingle and allowed her eyes to drift down his face to his covered lips. She felt more tears mix down her cheek but continued to stare at him. Without thought she angled her head in more and let her tear-covered lips cover his clothed ones. He seemed stunned but could not pull away.

The kiss was not feverish, was not panicky. But chaste, one lost soul finding another in the open universe and comforting it for just this moment.

Getting up, Sakura looked at him before smiling that small smile of hers and walking away. Her heart not feeling as lonely as before.

**Third Part: The Bloom **

She watched Ino and Nara Shikamaru get ready to leave Sakura and Ino's apartment. The drafty living room had been transformed into a stylish work room and study for both women, no thanks to Sakura. Her room was plain, a small bed that she inherited from her room at home, as well as her old sheets and bed covers. The old picture of Team 7 was still on her nightstand and walls were a dreary baize…or was it off-white, she could never remember. Sitting on the couch Sakura watched as Shika helped Ino into her jacket.

"Forehead, you should come with us." A not so excited Sakura looked up with a raised brow.

"Hai, pig, I want to be with my best-friend at a _romantic_ restaurant with her _boyfriend_ while they basically make-out in a creepy back booth?" Shrugging, Sakura just looked at her. "I think me and my journal on Chakra control will be okay here."

"Alright Billboard-brow, I wont be back tonight!" Rolling her eyes she watched them leave and got up not ten seconds later and followed out, closing the door quietly behind her. She felt horrible for wanting something like that, knowing that she never would. She wanted love, wanted to love someone with the passion that her best friend had. But she had resigned herself to be a side note, and to play second chair.

The sparkling sun was setting and the snow was beginning to melt after the long winter. The cherry-blossom were blooming beautifully and she watched as they swirled around the stone and the crouched man. This had become their habit to crouch next to each other in front of the stone. Everyday she would go there and he would already be there, his palm reached out and his eyes glazed over. Memories, he once said, were what kept them alive and well.

Blossoms had landed on him over time, having been blown from their tree homes into the wind. It showed how long he was out here for. The blossoms stood out against his rigid form, and Sakura was noticing how much of a _man_ he was. He wasn't just her sensei but a man now. They never talked about the quite, chaste kiss. They never had too.

"Kakashi-sensei." The name was a greeting and he nodded blindingly, not looking at her, but looking through the stones. He was spending more time here lately, in front of the stone, and she was getting more worried.

"Rin…" Sakura stopped walking towards him and shook her head. "No Kakashi-sensei, Sakura." He looked up and his eyes took longer now to clear.

"Sakura…gomen, Sakura." He looked more sad then usual, more tired and drained.

"Kakashi-sensei…we need to go inside before we both freeze." He shook his head before getting up. The memories started to fade and his mind grabbled and tried to hold on. He knew he had been spending more time with those forgotten memories. But his present was not as happy as his past. It was grim, the only thing shining was Sakura. And his feelings for her were changing, he didn't let on but these silent meetings almost everyday were saving him from himself. The kiss had moved him more than anything else ever good. It was a kiss that told him that she knew his pain, that she wanted to help.

He followed her with his hands in the pockets of his jonin pants, trying not too think about her as a man would think about a women. Trying not to see how her hips swayed when she walked ahead of him or how chest lifted as she breathed. He knew that she had grown as a student under the Hokage. That she was known by all for her super strength and abilities to heal all. He saw the familiar building that was her apartment. Sometimes at night he would sit on top of the opposite roof and look into her window and see her bright hair on the pillow. She it fanned around her face when she turned and couldn't help but wish he was lying next to her and able to see it everyday without sitting on a roof and sneaking around.

"We have to get you dried Sensei." With a practiced hand she pushed open the door and led them inside. "You're going to have to strip out of your vest and shirt, and probably your pants."

Nodding Kakashi absently started to get undressed and didn't notice her eyes focus on his now naked chest. He sat down on her couch in only his boxers, looking out the window. She went into the next room to throw the drenched clothes in the dryer. Sitting next to him she looked over at him, noticed him still wearing the soaked mask.

"Sensei..maybe you should take off the mask so it can dry?" She noticed that far away look in his eye again, and just wanted to make them clear, to be able to talk to him. But her breath was held in anticipation as he clasped the mask from below his neck and started to draw it over his silvery head. She held her breath as a defined chin was shown then strong, firm lips (which she spend some time looking at) and then hard cheekbones. Overall he was beautiful, so appealing that her heart beat quicker on its own.

"Sakura…Sakura, are you alright?" Raising his brow he watched as she mumbled something then reached for his mask, but he pulled it back to him. Mix-matched eyes met sea-foam green and held for a second. Something was in the air, something electric when their eyes met like this. Grasping the end of the cloth, Sakura began to pull, but Kakashi pulled harder, pulling her closer to him. Getting up, still holding the mask, he pulled her flush against him. At the same time, both found each others hands in hair, found their lips locked. A spark was igniting deep inside both and a deep craving for that empathy that they felt for one another.

**Part Four: The Withering**

The stone felt colder today then any other day, and the hands lying on it only rested there for a second. Eyes met, one dark lone eye crinkled before getting up from his crouched position and holding a hand out for his partner. The rosette haired women grasped his hand and let herself stand beside him.

"Kakashi-sens.." At his narrow eye warning, Sakura corrected herself. "Kakashi…do you think they are alright."

"Hai, Sakura. But they would not want us to mourn their deaths until ours come." Grasping her hand further he pulled her against the side of his body and wrapped his hand around her shoulders as hers wrapped around his waist. They gazed out into the forest as the last of the blossoms fell from the trees. But the feeling of loneliness that had once haunted them, had disappeared. Leaving a feeling only of hope, and of love for tomorrow. Their love growing steadily as they looked towards one another. They turned together, as one, away from the stone, and together they walked towards their tomorrow.

**A/N**: hope you enjoyed my fist Kak/Sak tribute. Review and tell me what you thought! Happy Early Mother's Day to all!

-Irish


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